Opera-chair.



G. R. PARR.

OPERA CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED-JAN. 17, 1910.

974,703.. Patented Nov. 1,1910.

v2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. R. BARR. OPERA CHAIR. Y APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1'7, 1910.

974,703. Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-MEET 2.

r: NORRIS PETERS 6a., WASHINGfON,-D. L".

GEORGE E. BARR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

OPERA-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application filed. January 17, 1910. Serial No. 538,366.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. PARK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Opera-Chairs, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs and more especially to that class of chairs used in churches, theaters, and other public assembly rooms, known as opera chairs.

The general object of the invention is to improve, simplify and economize in the construction of such chairs.

The special object is to provide a chair of such novel construction that a number of seats and backs may be supported slidably upon a single rail.

A further object is to provide a chair of this description in which the seat, when released by the occupant, will automatically rise into a folded position, the arms at the same time being automatically lowered into a folded. position.

. Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts of a chair of this description which will be hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically claimed. l have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1. represents a sectional side elevation of a chair constructed in accordance with my invention, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of two of my improved chairs side by side, the seats and arms of each chair being in the positions in which they would be held by the occupant, a portion of a third chair being shown at the right of the figure. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in the folded position.

Like reference characters mark the same parts in both figures of the drawing.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the supports of a number of chairs comprise a standard at each end of a row, as at 8, each standard consisting of legs 4 joined together at their upper ends to form what might be termed a body portion 5. A'horizontal support 6, in the form of an inverted U-shaped angle bar of plate iron, is secured to the inside of each of the body portions 5 of the standard, this horizontal supporting angle bar being of a length to receive any desired number of seats to be placed slidably side by side thereon. The standards consisting of the legs at and body portion 5, are also preferably stamped up out of plate iron or heavy sheet iron, as are most of the other parts of the chair.

The chairs are slidably secured upon the angle bar 6 by means of cars 7 which are formed on the lower edges of the backs 8 and are bent around the angle bar, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and secured in position thereon by bolts 9 passing through the overlapped ends of the ears, within the space encompassed by the angle bar 6.

Secured to each back 8 is a bracket 10, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the arms which support the seats 11 of the chairs are pivoted to these brackets by means of bars 12. Each of these pivoted seat supports is composed of bent heavy sheet or plate metal and comprises an inner fold 13 and an outer fold 141, the latter being broken away in Fig. 1.

Projecting rearwardly from the seat supporting arms and upwardly at their rear ends, are arms 15 adapted to engage the washer like plates 16. Around the pins or bolts 15 are coiled springs 17 which have their upper bearings against the overlapped ends of the ears 7 of the backs 8 hereinbefore referred to.

At 18 are shown the arms of the chairs pivoted at 19 to brackets or ears 20 projecting from the uprights of back 8, said uprights being indicated at 21 and serving to receive the edges of the backs 8.

A link 22 is pivotally connected with the seat supporting arms 13, 14 and with the chair arms 18, said links being extended beyond the pivots 23 which connect them with the chair arms, forming smaller arms 24 to which are pivotally connected bars 25 which pass through plates 26, secured under the chair arms and beyond said plates are encircled by springs 27 which bear outwardly against nuts 28. The springs 17 of the seats and the springs 27 of the arms, both exert their power expansively, the former vhaving a tendency to fold the seat upwardly and the arms downward simultaneously. The seat while being folded up draws downward on the-arms 22 and draws the chair arms 18 downwardly, being as sisted in that operation by the expansive force of the springs 27. It will be observed,

however, that this expansive tendency of the spring 27 is exerted rearwardly on the rod 25 and through it upon the upper arm or extensions 24. of the links 22. This has a tendency to throw the pivotal connection between the lower end of the links 22 and the chair supporting arms 13, let, forward, said spring 27 thereby acting in opposition to the tendency of the spring 17 and serving, so long as the seat is held down in horizontal position, to rigidly hold the arms also in horizontal positions. When the seats are unoccupied, they will be folded up and the arms folded down against the back of the chair. When, however, the seat is pressed downward into the position shown in the drawing, in order to be occupied, the downward motion on the pivot 12 will throw the pivotal connection at the lower end of the arms 22 upward, thus raising the arms 18 into their positions.

By means of the ears 7 of the back 8, embracing the horizontal angle bar in the manner described, the seats may he slid upon the supporting angle bar, adjusted laterally thereon, or removed therefrom at will.

It is sometimes objectionable to the occupant of a chair that the occupant of a chair in the rear thereof who projects his feet too far under the front chair and thus interferes with anything which may have been placed under said front chair by the occupant thereof. I have thus remedied this in my construction by pivoting to the back of the end supports of a row of chairs, as at 29, a frame 30 of a length corresponding to the row of chairs, preferably consisting of suitable horizontal and vertical bars with a central opening closed by means of a wire or other netting 81. This effectually prevents the objectionable thrusting forward of the feet of the occupant of the rear seat and at the same time permits of the circulation of air throughout the room underneath the seats. The frames 30 being pivoted at their upper edges, as at 29, may be lifted when desired to facilitate the sweeping of the floor, the pivot of the arms being so located that the frames themselves when turned up, will rest against the back of the seat without the necessity of any fastening to hold them there.

While I have specifically described the construction of the various parts of my improved chairs, I desire it to be understood that I do not confine myself to such exact constructions, inasmuch as many slight changes and variations might be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a seat back, a

seat, and arms pivoted to said seat back, of'

separate springs acting upon the seat and arms in a direction toward a folded position.

2. The combination of standards, an inverted U-shaped angle bar connecting said standards, a plurality of seat backs, ears projecting from said backs and slidably em bracing the angle bar, seats pivoted to the backs, rearward and upward extensions from the seats projecting into the channel of the angle bar, and expansive springs in said channel above the extension from the seats and bearing downward thereon with a tendency to fold the seats.

3. In an opera chair, a supporting frame, a seat pivoted thereto, a seat back, an arm pivoted to the seat back, a link pivotally connecting the seat and arm in a manner to cause the arm to fold downward when the seat is folded upward, and a spring in said arm having a tendency to maintain the seat and arm in their folded position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. FARR. Witnesses E. WALTON BREWINGTON, BROWN M. ALLEN. 

